One Hand to Cut the Other
by conventgirlvampire
Summary: The zombie apocalypse hits and New Directions are forced to fend for themselves under the leadership of one Rachel Berry and Noah Puckerman. Betrayals occur, death follows and only time will tell who survives. T for now.
1. Highschool of the Dead

**Title:** One Hand to Cut the Other

**Chapter:** 1

**Characters/Pairings:** Eventual Faberry, Brittana, Chang 2.0, New Directions, Jesse St. James and Will Shuester for now. Past mentions of every other pairing on Glee.

**Word Count:** 2,961

**Spoilers:** Let's just say up to "Asian F" but without the Finchel.

**Summary:** The zombie apocalypse hits and New Directions are forced to fend for themselves under the leadership of one Rachel Berry and Noah Puckerman. Betrayals occur, death follows and only time will tell who survives.

**Notes: **Yeah, that summary might change later on. Chapter title comes from the anime and manga of the same name with that nail gun piece and the fic title comes from The Birthday Massacre's _Goodnight_.

I know I have like five other fics to finish but I was writing this in class and now I can't stop. It was originally supposed to be a oneshot but it's not now so yeah. Also, there's another fic coming that I started in class too.

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><p><strong>Highschool of the Dead<strong>

The day the world ended was a normal day. In fact, it was a Friday, the last day before winter break. The school was nearly empty, most of the students having already left for the day in anticipation of the three week break from school that they were now free to enjoy. Only a few students remained, wrapping up the semester with whatever club was still meeting at the time. They were all blissfully unaware of what was about to happen.

**December 16****th****, 2011**

**16:37**

**WMHS Choir Room**

Rachel Berry was tired. She was so tired that she could barely suppress the awn that threatened to escape her lips. It did not help that her now ex-boyfriend was singing some sort of soft rock song that she really did not care for. She had broken up with him in the middle of November and ever since then he had been trying to win her back. So far, she was just bored.

Glancing around she caught Noah Puckerman's eye and grinned, the two Jewish teenagers remembering the party they had gone to the night before. It had been thrown by one of her Carmel friends in honour of her birthday and she had brought Noah along feeling as if she had been neglecting the boy ever since she had gotten together with Finn.

"You have a shit-eating grin on your face Berry." Santana leaned in close to her from her perch behind Rachel "Puckerman has the same grin and he's looking directly at you. Tell me you didn't hook up with him."

"What's it to you Santana?" She glanced at Puck again, this time waggling her eyebrows at him and nodding. He snorted and nearly fell off his chair, shaking with silent laughter. "Whatever happened between Noah and me doesn't have anything to do with you."

"Is that the way you see it Berry?"

"Yes, that is the way I see it. Unless," she paused here, a wicked gleam in her eye as she pretended to pay attention to Finn, "were you the girl I was making out or were you the one screaming my name for the rest of the party to hear last night? You see, I couldn't tell because I was highly intoxicated after doing God knows how many shots off of Noah's chest last night."

When Santana started to splutter Rachel took that as her cue and stood up. Finn stopped his singing and the rest of the club stopped what they were doing to look at her. Never before had Rachel Berry interrupted a performance so this was a strange occurrence, the say the least. All but two pairs of eyes followed her movements as she moved towards the band kids and borrowed one of their guitars. Clear brown eyes sparkled with mirth as the owner moved toward his own acoustic guitar while hazel eyes just continued to study the same line they had been looking at ever since glee started.

Puck joined Rachel in the centre of the room and began tuning his guitar while Rachel turned to Mr. Schuster. Full lips curled into a devious smirk as she began to speak.

"Mr. Schue, as much as I've enjoyed Finn's performance, Noah and I have a song we'd like to perform. There's a lot that we feel we need to say about the status of certain relationships and people in our lives and – "

Static from the school's intercom system cut her off as Principal Figgin's voice came over the system. He sounded breathless and there was more than a hint of panic in his tone as he spoke.

"Attention students…and faculty on the…compound…There has been…a deadly…breakout of some…virus that…reanimates…the dead – "

Before he could say anymore the line went dead and silence reigned in the room. No one knew what to say to this news. It seemed impossible to confirm that it was actually true. After all, that was something out of a videogame, right? Viruses that reanimated the dead did not exist in the real world. Except, that was what they had just been told.

"Zombies," Puck got out, breaking the silence. "Fucking zombies man."

"This is unbelievable," Mike muttered. "Viruses and the walking dead…"

These were responses that the group expected, welcomed even. The reverent expressions on Puck and Mike's faces were normal for the boys who devoted so much of their time to zombie games. The next two responses, however, shocked the club.

"Fucking Resident Evil," Quinn said. "It's actually happening."

"Damn it!" Rachel seethed and pulled out her wallet to give Puck a crisp twenty dollar bill. "Fucking zombie apocalypse cost me the bet. Why were you right Noah?"

Puck grinned at her and pulled the pouting girl into an impromptu dance before kissing her cheek. This, of course, snapped the room out of its daze as Finn seethed at the action.

"The hell Rachel? You and Puck again?"

Rachel rolled her eyes at the boy and let herself be twirled one final time before Puck returned to his seat and she sat on his lap. His arms automatically circled around her waist as she dug through her bag looking for something as she spoke.

"One, as I was making quite clear to Santana before, there is nothing going on between myself and Noah. That's just…no. Two, we just found out that a zombie apocalypse is upon us Finn. Is that really what you want to focus on?" She turned to face Quinn once she was sure that Finn was not going to answer. "T-Virus?"

"Umbrella," Quinn replied at once.

"My God," Puck whispered to Mike who just grinned. "Quinn's speaking Resident Evil?"

"Nemesis," Rachel continued, ignoring him.

"Raccoon City."

"Alice."

"Claire."

"OTP."

"Of course," Quinn smirked. "Didn't take you for a fan of the movies, Berry."

"Naturally. Noah thinks I'm crazy because he says the games are better but I disagree. Besides, Milla Jovovich is hot."

"Damn right," Puck said from behind her. "Chick knows how to handle a gun."

"Okay," Mercedes interjected before the trio said something she really did not need to hear, "before we step even more into a twilight zone where Quinn, Puck and Rachel actually have something in common, let's get down to business. We don't know what we're going to do."

"Isn't it obvious?" Kurt asked in slight disdain. "We need to make sure our families are safe and then we need to get out of Lima."

"Or we could go to my place," Rachel volunteered with a shrug. "It's not like your plan's going to work."

"Um…no offence Rachel," Artie chimed in, "but how is your plan any better?"

Rachel opened her mouth to answer but she was interrupted by the sound of Nightwish's _Bye Bye Beautiful_ blaring from her pocket. Frowning at the number on her phone she stood up.

"Fine. Call your families and check on them. Just be warned that my offer only stands for a limited time."

Glancing at the door to check that the hallway was still eerily clear of the undead, Rachel retreated to a corner and answered the phone. Immediately the clear voice of Jason Berry rang in her ear.

"Rachel! Are you okay?"

"Yes dad. They haven't seemed to have reached the choir room yet. Are you okay?"

The brief pause at the end of the line filled Rachel with dread. She may have been calm on the outside but inside she was terrified. Her fathers were both respected scientists who specialised in genetics. The government had tried to recruit theme both recently into some highly classified research as they were both considered to be the foremost researchers in their field but Rachel's daddy had declined the offer as it would have taken both of them away from her. Her dad, however, had accepted the post in order to monitor the experiments should something go wrong. Now it seemed that it had.

"Baby girl I'm so sorry." His voice was weakening, causing Rachel's heartbeat to increase. "I tried to stop them but they wouldn't listen and now…"

"Dad! What happened?"

"They've told you about the virus?"

"In passing."

"They were testing the virus on dead tissue. Some of the specimens were living, some were dead but that doesn't matter because in its raw state the virus mutated the tissue."

"Oh no…" Realisation crashed down on Rachel as she processed her dad's words. "Where?"

"New York, five days ago."

"Are you…"

"Yes. Everyone here is. Listen to me baby girl. Your daddy's already at home preparing. The underground route will take you to safety but he won't be able to go with you."

"What? Why?"

"They're going to take him Rachel. We were working on a cure for it and he's the only one with the knowledge and ability to make it now. There are supplies though, so you should be good for a while. I want you to gather your friends and take them with you. It's better when there are more of you together and I don't want you to be alone."

"She won't be alone Mr. Berry," Puck said putting the phone on speaker. He had heard the tail end of the conversation when he had approached Rachel after seeing her go pale. "She'll have me with her. We're a badass duo and I won't abandon her."

A chuckle on the other end brought a smile to both their faces. "That you are Noah, I have no doubt of that. Stay strong you two and survive."

"We will dad, we will," Rachel replied in a small voice before ending the call and turning to Puck. "What about your family?"

"No answer from either of them. I don't want to assume the worst but it doesn't look good."

Rachel nodded. She and Puck were close enough for them to know that they had each other's backs without having to say a word. She would never have to kill her own fathers but Puck would have to face his family eventually. She would be there for him when that happened, no matter what.

"C'mon Shortstop. Let's get back to the others and see what's going on."

She nodded again and allowed him to lead her back to the group who were now arguing vehemently over what they should do. Rachel allowed the sounds to wash over her as she stood there under the weight of everything. Puck, of course knew about her dads and he was okay with it but he had just lost his family. He did not need to shoulder the weight of her responsibilities too.

Rolling her shoulders back she turned to face the group who had now become her family. They were still arguing with each other, of course, but she could see the fear in each and every one of them. Looking at Puck who was on the phone again she could see that same fear in the way his body tensed at even the smallest sound but also a strength that she desperately needed to draw from. Noticing her staring he smiled at her nodded, ever encouraging her forward.

"Shut up," she said in a quiet voice, repeating it again and again until they noticed her. "Here's the plan. You are all going to come with me and Noah. We won't be leaving Lima and we will not be looking for anyone tonight."

"And why would we do that?" Mercedes met Rachel's gaze with an unwavering stare. "Why should we listen to you when you're basically telling us to abandon our families?"

"I'm not doing this for my own comfort 'Cedes. I just lost my dad to infection and I'm about to lose my daddy to the government. When I return home it'll be to a place full of supplies and weapons but no warmth. I'm used to that. What I'm doing this for is to share that place with you because it may be cold but at least it'll be safe. Besides, while this school may seem to be relatively secure it isn't, which means that the world outside isn't either. We're just lucky that they haven't reached us yet."

Surprisingly, Kurt chose this moment to speak up. "You're right, the outside world will be a mess and I'm sorry for snapping you like that. I can't reach my parents anyway so I'm not sure if going home is a safe option. I'm in."

"We are too," Quinn said gesturing to herself, Santana and Brittany. "Britt's parents are the only ones who actually care and we can't get them. We might as well go with you."

Slowly each member f New Directions agreed to Rachel's plan. They all knew that they needed each other in some way if they were going to survive the madness and Rachel's plan made the most sense anyway.

"You guys don?" Puck asked when he hung up his phone. Rachel nodded. "Good. I got on to Dawn and Kim. They'll be meeting up with us at your place. Jesse'll be there too. Smug bastard actually called _me._"

"Be nice Noah." Truthfully Rachel was not actually serious with her scolding because he was right about Jesse but it was the principle of the thing. "It's not like he hasn't changed."

Puck was about to protest but he noticed the slight curling of her lips and changed his mind. If Rachel was joking he would not spoil her fun. She needed it and he would not hesitate to provide her with humour if it made her forget about the fate of her dads for a moment or two.

"Okay, so how are we getting out of her here, man? I don't see any zombies but that doesn't mean they're not there."

Rachel looked at Mike and cocked her head to the side. He was right, of course. They had not seen or heard any zombies outside of the choir room but they were there. The infection had spread way too quickly for it to have passed Lima without infecting the population. She glanced at Puck.

The boy in question nodded once before leaving the choir room, understanding without words exactly what she needed. The hall was empty but in the distance he could hear faint moaning. He moved slowly. He moved quickly. When he turned the corner he stopped, finally seeing them for the moment they were still trapped within classrooms with closed doors but that would not last forever.

Thankfully, the classroom where they had shop was empty. Grabbing on of the plastic bags that were usually used to collect wood chips he stuffed a few hammers, wrenches and planks of wood into it. As he was leaving, time preventing him from looking through the room for more weapons, he saw the ultimate weapon in the room. Hanging on the wall near him above boxes and boxes of nails were two nail guns. He grabbed them and a few boxes before heading back to the choir room where Rachel was waiting impatiently for him.

"They're locked in the classrooms for now. Not a lot of them but enough to be a danger to us if they get out," he reported as he started handing out tools to the others. "If we can get to the school bus we should be able to get out of here safely. So, I guess the only thing to ask now is whether or not you have a plan."

"Noah, really?" She raised her eyebrow in a way that eerily reminded him of Quinn. "I may have bet on machines turning against us but I do have a plan in place. I'm Rachel Berry after all."

"Wait, hold up," Santana interrupted having just noticed Rachel's easy grip on her makeshift weapon. "Why does Berry get a nail gun?"

"I know how to handle it," Rachel shrugged. "Besides, Noah and I taking the lead to my house in my car so it's only fair that I have the projectile weapon to use as we will see any roaming zombies before anyone else will."

"Oh hell no Berry."

"Rachel," Mr. Schue interjected, "this is your plan but shouldn't we all go together? After all, there's safety in numbers."

"While that is a lovely sentiment Mr. Schuester, my car is quite expensive and the modifications Noah and my daddy made would go to waste if I left it here. I would offer to house all of your vehicles but I'm afraid there simply is no room. You're more than welcome to ride with me Santana but I'm afraid that I cannot let you bring your car. Besides, I have to show you the way to my house."

"They can use my truck if it makes them feel better," Puck said throwing his keys to Mike. "I just really want to drive your car again."

Rachel rolled her eyes. Puck was sometimes too predictable on that front. She could bet money on him and win if she ever felt the desire to.

"Naturally, Noah. Now let's divide ourselves. Of course, I will be going with Noah to protect my car. Santana, I'm assuming you'll want Brittany to accompany you as well?"

"Yeah. The world's going to shit already. I'm not going anywhere without B." Santana linked pinkies with her blonde counterpart before nodding towards Quinn. Q's coming with us too."

"Very well then. The rest of you can ride in Noah's truck." She examined the group in front of her. "Might I suggest that Finn, Mr. Schue and Mike ride in the back in order to fend off any attacks?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Santana stood up, hammer in hand. "Can we go now?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Rachel grinned and left the room, the rest of New Directions following in her wake.

* * *

><p><strong>AN2:** So, I know in the original scene Hirano modified the nail gun but here I don't think Puck or Rachel would have had the time, no matter how good they are. I think I'll have Mike or Quinn mention that later on though. I should also tell you in advance, there will be romance but I'm trying more to focus on the who and how the team's going to survive so it could either be really slow development or really fast. I don't know yet.


	2. Resident Evil

**Title:** One Hand to Cut the Other

**Chapter:** 2

**Characters/Pairings:** Eventual Faberry, Brittana, Chang 2.0, New Directions, Jesse St. James and Will Shuester for now. Past mentions of every other pairing on Glee.

**Word Count:** 2,912

**Spoilers:** Let's just say up to "Asian F" but without the Finchel.

**Summary:** The zombie apocalypse hits and New Directions are forced to fend for themselves under the leadership of one Rachel Berry and Noah Puckerman. Betrayals occur, death follows and only time will tell who survives.

**Notes: **Yeah, that summary might change later on. Chapter title comes from the _Resident Evil_ movies, obviously, and the fic title comes from The Birthday Massacre's _Goodnight_. Also, I don't own X-23 or the character referenced from Resident Evil.

**Note 2: **Edited to include technical details that I forgot.

So this took a while but mostly because while I had it written, I didn't get to type it until today.

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

**Resident Evil**

**December 16th, 2011**

**17:13**

**WMHS Parking Lot**

They had moved slowly, careful not to attract any attention to themselves as they made their way to the parking lot. Surprisingly, their luck had held out and New Directions had not encountered anyone on their way out, living or otherwise. They should have known that it would not last long for them.

Quinn was the first to hear the moans. Looking around she saw a small group of zombies making their way to them. Her brain registered the irony that it was the current Cheerios squad slowly approaching them in the hope of a fresh meal.

Something happened to her then. New Directions was a group of innocent kids who could not bring themselves to hurt anyone and they were her family. She needed to protect them. She needed to keep them innocent if only for a while.

Tapping Puck on the shoulder, she pointed to the group. Two by four in hand, she approached the group. Her first swing was clumsy but powerful enough to still knock the head off of what had been a pretty brunette. The wood felt weird in her hands, like it fit but at the same time too unwieldy to use for long. The second swing was much better and soon she found herself moving with grace through the group. As she worked, she could faintly register the sound of nails being embedded into brain matter. She did not allow herself time to think about what she was doing until she finished, though. She could not.

"Quinn," a soft voice called out as small hands took hold of one wrist and led her to Rachel's car, "Quinn, that's enough."

She nodded quietly, letting herself be pulled into the back seat along with whoever had guided her away. She was pulled into a soft body and surprisingly strong arms held her close as a pair of lips whispered into her ear with that same melodic voice.

"Thank you."

She closed her eyes as the car started and leaned back into the person, the girl who had grounded her. She knew that later nightmares would haunt her in her sleep but for now she was just happy to be close to someone. She did not regret it but she no longer felt safe in her own mind either. The images played over and over in her mind even as she felt comforted but the started to fade just as quickly.

"Nice one Q," Puck said from the front. "To be honest, I never would have thought that you would take on a group of those things with only be and my JewBerry for backup."

Quinn nodded sleepily. It was bad enough that she barely slept most days but her actions left her exhausted, the adrenaline having used all her energy. Small fingers ran through her hair, encouraging the Sandman's grip to tighten on her. She nearly purred at how good it felt.

"Wait, Rachel helped me?" She pulled away and looked at the girl who had held her, Puck's words sinking in. "How did you…?"

"How did I help you?" Rachel grinned, an amused glint in her eye. "I shot them with a nail gun, Quinn. It's that simple."

"But…but…you're –"

"Rachel Berry?" Puck cut in, glancing back at her. "Don't think about what you know about Rachel. She's a lot more than what you see. I forgot that a while back but I remember it now."

"Noah…"

Quinn could hear the warning in her voice. She was surprised by it but she did not let it show. She was just content to observe the two Jewish teens as they continued to move toward Rachel's home. They were amusing, really. There was nothing on the surface to suggest that they had anything in common but Rachel and Puck seemed to understand each other in a way that not even Santana and Brittany could understand each other. Part of her was jealous but another part of her was in awe of them.

Looking around her for the first time Quinn was again surprised, this time because she had noticed Santana sitting next to her in the backseat while Brittany was sitting in the front with Puck. Looking at the other brunette she raised an eyebrow. Santana just shrugged in response.

"Rach," Puck said from the front again, calling her attention back to him, "what are you gonna tell Shelby? According to Jesse, she's there too."

"How?" She was surprised to hear the hint of wonder in the other girl's voice as she spoke but was soon distracted by another thought. _What if only Shelby had made it?_ Puck seemed to grow older as their eyes met as he answered both her thoughts and Rachel's question.

"She was on her way to pick Beth up from day-care when the news hit. Unfortunately, the infected had already got there. I think that was the first time she had ever killed one of them since this began. The place was close to Carmel, though, so when the girls recognised her they brought her with them."

Quinn swallowed hard as she listened to Puck. Her daughter, one of the few people she loved and who could have loved her unconditionally was dead. Something inside of her broke at the thought and she could not help the whimper that escaped her throat because of it.

Memories of that day in the hospital plagued her as they moved, familiar hazel eyes haunting her. It did not matter that she was in a car travelling to Rachel Berry's house or that the world had been overtaken by a zombie apocalypse. It did not even matter that she herself had killed a few of the creatures. In that moment she just felt so small and insignificant and scared.

The arms around her squeezed tightly for a moment before with drawing as she was gently pushed against Santana. She was forced to look on as Rachel silently pulled out a knife from her jacket and slashed her wrist before getting out of the car, nail gun in hand.

"Where's Berry going?!" Santana asked hefting her own two by four and making a move to follow Rachel. "She's bleeding and she's alone."

"Are you going to get her back San?" His vice was soft with a tone of sadness that caused Quinn to wonder about exactly what Rachel was about to do. "Are you going to save her if she needs you to or are you going to kill her before she can do what she has to?"

Santana hesitated and that was all Puck seemed to need to lock the doors and pull away. Looking back, Quinn could only see Rachel standing there with determined eyes and a grim expression. As they left and she grew even smaller, she wondered if she ever even knew the girl at all.

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><p>As the day passed and evening approached, Quinn slept in the car. The Berry house was on the outskirts of town but Puck drove slowly in order to avoid the undead, extending the drive by an hour and a half. During that time all she could do was think of Rachel and if she was okay.<p>

"She'll make it," Puck said meeting her eyes in the rear-view mirror. All three girls turned to him, causing him to sigh as he swerved to avoid a man whose insides spilled out of his rotting stomach a little more with each step. "Rachel will survive and she sure as hell won't let them get her."

"How do you know that Puck?" Santana's voice permeated her thoughts. "How do you know that you didn't leave Berry's crazy ass to die back there?"

"I just do, okay?" He glared at the road but she could see that there was more to his outburst than just anger. "She'll survive. There's no way I would leave her there if I thought she wouldn't."

"Puck –"

"No, Q. Just…just don't say anything right now please. I don't want too hear it."

She nodded, suddenly at a loss as to what to do. There was something that Puck was not telling them, something that was obviously important, but she did not push. He would tell them soon, she would make sure of it.

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><p><strong>December 16th, 2011<strong>

**17:15**

**Halfway to the Berry House**

Sighing deeply Rachel watched as Puck drove off, the tail-lights of her car disappearing the further away they got from her. The girls were not weak by any means but she was still putting her faith in Noah to keep them safe. The only lives she needed to be responsible for was her own and her friends from Carmel. Noah, Shelby and Jesse would agree, telling her that she did not need to protect them and she did not care much for the rest beyond not wanting to be lonely.

Reaching into her jacket, she pulled out a syringe filled with a glowing red substance. Holding it up, she examined the X-23 virus, named after the kickass (in her opinion) comic book character because her Daddy was a secret geek who had recognised the mutation that Rachel's body had caused naturally (without the claws and adamantium skeleton, though) and moved quickly to treat it. That was the year the government had taken an interest in his work. She was only nine then. When the _Resident Evil_ movies came out, she had laughed until she cried at the similarities until her fathers decided to call her their "Little Alice" after the main character even as they suppressed her mutation.

"Ha, not so much Alice then," she whispered as she pulled off the thin plastic sleeve that covered the needle, "but here I fall down the rabbit hole into Wonderland now."

She hissed as it punctured her skin and slid easily into her vein. Once the virus started to enter her system she felt different, more comfortable in her skin than ever before. Her senses slowly became sharper and something in her heard the infection calling out to her but remained silent. She could sense it and it could sense her but the infected would do nothing until they smelt the blood slowly dripping from her fingers.

"It's like two soldiers passing each other in uniform before finding out that they're going to fight each other."

Noah would like that comparison and Mike might have too. She was not sure. Maybe she would be able to tell them if they survived. They would be the only ones who listened to her. The rest of the club would just sneer and blame her for this. She knew them well enough to know that even if it was not voiced the blame would still be there.

"Maybe I shouldn't help them after all," she mused aloud. "After all, it really is my turn now."

Shaking her head to avoid such thoughts, she finally decided to move away from where she was. Her plan was to draw the infected away from the path to her house and back into the main part of Lima. From there she would double back to the road out of town and go straight to her house. The close moaning did not help at all.

* * *

><p>"Fuck!"<p>

Rachel had run out of nails. She had managed to avoid the infected on her way back to Lima's centre but once she had gotten there the attack had started. At first it was not so bad. She had taken out quite a few with well placed shots to the head but she was alone and on foot. The nails were never going to last.

She knew that her time was running out and fast. Why else would she be panicking now? The choices lay there mocking her: die alone or survive and go to a place where almost everyone did not want her. She knew which she would prefer but then again, she had promised her father that she would survive.

A sign caught her eye and the resulting grin hurt after a while. She had forgotten about the arms shop that her parents would often visit when she and Noah needed more pellets for their weekend BB-gun tournaments. She knew the layout of the store well enough for it to only take her a few minutes before she had acquired an M16 assault rifle, a pair of SIG Sauer P226 9mm pistols and just enough ammunition to last her a few days if necessary. Strapping the rifle to her back and the SIGs to her thigh, she paused.

She needed to get out of Lima and she needed to get out quickly. She had bought the others some time with her little detour but now it was time to move if she had any hope of surviving. What she needed was a vehicle, something small and fast that she could manoeuvre easily if she had to. Nothing came to mind as she made her way stealthily through the back of the shop into an empty street.

Fifteen minutes later, Rachel found herself staring up at the local car dealership and wishing that she had a plan. There were vehicles everywhere but they were too big, too noticeable to actually be of any use to her. Then she saw it.

Rachel Berry was many things. She was talented, egotistical, annoying, charming, verbose, lacking in a filter…the list could go on. At the moment, however, all she could think was that she was a moron. Standing off to a corner was the most gorgeous black and red Ducati Streetfighter S that she had ever seen. It also happened to be perfect for her purposes.

Making her way to the back, Rachel began to search for the bike's keys. She knew that it was in one of the desk drawers, just not which one. As she was about to give up, she found them, nearly jumping for joy when she did.

Straddling the bike, she threw it into gear and drove it through the window, straight into the street. By then a few of the infected had wandered close but a couple of shots to the head and she was able to move into the suburbs without being followed. As much as possible, Rachel tried to avoid areas where there was a chance of encountering the infected and stuck to the back roads.

When she returned to the spot where she had left Noah and the others she topped for a moment. Tire scorch marks showed where Noah's truck had passed along with the scent of rotting flesh. She scrunched her nose up at the putrid smell. With her right hand she covered her nose before moving yet again, slower now.

Her eyes darted from left to right, always on the lookout. She could feel the infection moving around her, pressing in and suffocating her to the point of physical asphyxiation. Flashbacks to a time long gone and a similar feeling that nearly broke her made her swerve, narrowly avoiding a crash as she righted the bike just in time. Back then it was only in her mind and she was too young and vulnerable to cope with it. Now it was purely physical and years of suppressing her infection left her just as vulnerable now as she was back then.

She hated it. She hated feeling so vulnerable that the fear she kept at bay was given free reign over her body. She hated the way her muscles would just stop working and she would not be able to move an inch in order to get away from whatever caused the fear. She absolutely loathed feeling so vulnerable and helpless.

"Damn it Berry! Move!"

The barked command broke her out of her stupor almost immediately and she kicked the bike into gear. No longer bothering with stealth, she put the bike through its paces, marvelling at the dual sensation of the hot metal beneath her and the cool wind in her hair and against her face. It was all too familiar and comforting just to be riding like this, the December twilight taking the place of August afternoons with Noah at her side then and no one there now.

The low, steady hum of the bike filled her ears and dulled her senses a little. She did not really need them anyway, her awareness of the infection and her memory of the road offering all the protection she needed from the dangers lurking nearby. For once, her mind was free of all plans and contingencies.

Her ringtone broke the spell and she nearly swerved off the road again, fumbling for her Bluetooth headset. Once it was safely in place she answered the call, irritation seeping into her voice.

"What is it Noah? I'm kind of busy here."

"Have you checked on the McKinley horde?"

"No, why?"

"According to your dad, it's escaped."

"Damn! It was bad enough that the school was on lockdown with the infected still inside but Figgins never reinforced the locks. Great!"

"Calm down princess. We can handle this, okay?"

"Yeah," she replied, releasing her breath. "How far are you from my house?"

"Pulling up past the gate right now."

"And the others?"

"Right behind me." Noah's voice was beginning to calm her even more. "How long until you get here Rachel?"

"Ten minutes, give or take. Keep them safe Noah," she whispered, hanging up.


	3. Locked Up

**Title:** One Hand to Cut the Other

**Chapter:** 3

**Characters/Pairings:** Eventual Faberry, Brittana, Chang 2.0, New Directions, Jesse St. James and Will Shuester for now. Past mentions of every other pairing on Glee.

**Word Count:** 3,996

**Spoilers:** Let's just say up to "Asian F" but without the Finchel.

**Summary:** The zombie apocalypse hits and New Directions are forced to fend for themselves under the leadership of one Rachel Berry and Noah Puckerman. Betrayals occur, death follows and only time will tell who survives.

**Notes: **Yeah, that summary might change later on. I don't know if the chapter title comes from anything but the fic title comes from The Birthday Massacre's _Goodnight_. Also, I don't own X-23 or the character referenced from Resident Evil. There are references to the PSP and Mortal Kombat among other things but I don't own those either.

**Disclaimer:** Obviously I forgot the main disclaimer but anyway, I don't own Glee or anything related to it, just the plot of this fic and its OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

**Locked Up**

**December 16th, 2011**

**18:02**

**Berry Residence**

Rachel skidded to a stop at the door where Puck was waiting for her, her blood pounding through her veins. Finally, she was home, she was safe from the lurking danger that lay beyond the gates. The only downside to this was that she had to top the bike.

"Nice to see you too Rach," Puck said noting her scowl as she dismounted. "It's not like I sat out here waiting for your ass to get here or anything like that."

"Missed you Noah," she replied as she walked past him. "What's the status on the horde from McKinley?"

"They're moving away from Lima as far as we can tell but we don't know for how long." He paused when he finally allowed himself to look at the bike. "Did you jack that from someone or something?"

"No," she laughed, "I went straight to the dealership. Besides, can you blame me? It is the only one I don't have in my collection. Now, I'm going to find Daddy. I'll talk to you later, okay Noah?"

Puck nodded knowing that there was no arguing with the girl. They both knew that there was no point to any other words being said as Rachel just tended to brush off anything to do with health procedures when she was at home. They were not really necessary for her anyway.

Separating at the corridor leading to the kitchen, he watched her turn away to go to her daddy's study before he retreated to the kitchen and joined the others. He would rather have been with her, of course, but he knew that she needed this time with her remaining father before he was taken away from her.

"She back Puckerman?"

He looked at Santana for a moment before nodding. She was only asking out of general concern but he still heard an echo of the same scorn that he was accustomed to hearing from her. He would have confronted her about it but he had heard worse from the others and it was Santana, after all. The only person she really never insulted was Brittany.

Shaking his head, he grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat down to wait for the two remaining members of the Berry family in a corner of the room away from the others. Even though she was the reason they were not running for their lives all they could do was complain. If they were like this now then what would it be like days, weeks or even months later?

"The thing is, we need a leader right now and Puck is the closest thing we have right now." Quinn's voice drifted toward him from where they were talking and making plans. "Someone needs to take charge and I think he knows enough to do it."

He snorted into his bottle even as a smile crept up on to his face. Quinn, at least, was on their side. Granted, she did not yet know that Rachel was back – everyone except Santana seemed to think she was dead and the ex-Cheerio was keeping her silence – but at least she was smart enough to know that they could not be led blindly into this. They needed someone who knew something about this to keep them alive. That was not to say, of course, that Puck actually wanted to be that person. He was okay with being in charge of the group while waiting for his Jewish American princess but now that she was here he was more than willing to give that position up to her. He was well aware of his own limitations and he knew that for any longer than a few hours he could not lead the group.

"Wait, why him?" Puck scoffed at the petulance in Finn's voice. Of course, the larger boy always had to get his own way. "I should lead. I mean, Puck's never been captain of anything and I've been football _and_ glee captain. He doesn't have the experience."

"If were going by experience then Q and I should be considered too." _Good ole San_, he thought. At least someone in the room was voicing his own opinion. "We should put this to a vote."

He groaned. They were back to stupidity yet again and he was getting tired of it. A flash of brunette hair in his periphery vision alerted him to Rachel's presence next to him as she sat, her entry unnoticed by the others. He never thought he would be as grateful to see hers he was then.

"They came for Daddy earlier than we thought." Her face was blank but he could see the anger beneath. She never could keep her emotions from showing through in her eyes. "Before he left he gave me the keys and codes for everything and even left a second set of keys for you."

"Thanks, BerryBerry," he said as he accepted the keys. "You going to get into this?"

"Nah," she replied, trying to keep a small smirk off her face as the argument before them got even more ridiculous. "I think I'll let this go on until they actually put it to a vote. I mean, the gate's on an automatic lock right now and the power will shut off soon in order to reboot the system so I might as well seek to gain some entertainment from this."

Puck nodded in response and the two teens leaned back and watched the others in silence. They both knew what the next few days held for them, having prepared for this ever since Rachel's dad left and they were nervous. They did not want to think of what could happen when the others learnt the truth about Rachel, or Puck, at least, did not. All he knew was that he needed to keep her safe at all costs.

Ten minutes later, they found themselves growing bored of the team mates' arguing. Puck stifled a yawn and pulled out two PSPs from his jacket. Handing one to Rachel, he tossed a game her way as well.

"I know you don't really like this system but it's all I got and I don't think you really want to draw any attention to yourself right now."

Rachel just nodded and the two of them began to play. Every time sone of them reached a higher kill ratio or reached a new high score they switched, engaging in a custom that they had perfected over the years in order to get as high a score as possible. The repetitiveness of it allowed Puck to take his mind off of the zombies and the arguing teens before him.

It was not that he wanted to avoid them, per say, it was just that he no longer saw the importance of arguing over things like who was going to lead the group. As far as he was concerned, he was going to follow Rachel's lead. It was her house after all and anything in it that they might need was hers as well. Even if she had not been his best friend there was still no way he would piss her off – at least, not if he wanted to keep his little friend in one piece anyway (not that he thought it was little, just to be clear).

The power went and Rachel still made no move to get up but it did not matter anyway because by then they noticed her sitting next to him. The glow of their games was too noticeable in the complete darkness that surrounded them.

"Berry what the fuck is wrong with your house?"

Puck did not need to look up from where he was going all out with Scorpion against Johnny Cage to know that Rachel was wearing that feral grin he only usually saw when she was feeling particularly wicked just before she shot him in the ass. No, he did not need to see it. He could hear it in her voice.

"My dad set it to go off like that." She did not even look up from the game. He knew this because she switched the games and he could hear his character's trademark "Get over here!" in the small pause right before she ripped into them.

"Let's get some things clear. None of you, with the circumstances we're under, know how to survive with the exception of Noah and myself. Possibly Quinn and Mike too but I'm not sure about that. We have been trained for this and, given that I'm the one who's infected here, we're also the only ones who know what the true extent of the virus' effects are."

"Wait, you're infected Rachel? Why the hell are you even here then? Didn't your father put you in quarantine like the rest of us?"

Puck smirked. Kurt had just opened up a whole new can of worms that he could not resihst watching. For a brief moment he considered just going to find Shelby and the Carmel group but he decided against it. He needed to see the impending blowout. Pulling out his phone, he decided to let Santana enjoy it with him.

**Puck**: Five minutes of watching you and B make out says Finn sends Rachel's temper over the edge.

**Santana**: Ten minutes of you and Kurt with tongue says no.

**Puck**: I'm upping my wager to fifteen. You're on.

"The X-23 virus originated from me," Rachel said in a quiet voice. "My father's were trying to find a cure for it when they modified the virus. I won't tell you exactly how it works, just that it's like the T-Virus from _Resident Evil_ and I'm Alice. As for quarantine, I don't need it. I can't infect anyone as the original is not contagious unless there is transference of blood and I can assure you that I'll never do that.

"Now rules. I'm not going to compromise on them so don't even think of arguing before I start unless you want to join the hordes outside. Everyone carries a weapon at all times, except for Brittany if she doesn't want to. I don't know how you'll deal with this Britt and I have a feeling Santana won't let you near such a situation anyway."

"Damn right," came the muttered confirmation.

"You will work with the group from Carmel, including Jesse and my mother, and you will not ostracise them. Rooms have been assigned and before anyone asks, no, you cannot claim the master suite. It's mine and the only reason I'm going to share with anyone would be because I like them so that's not gonna happen. Everyone will be assigned tasks on a rotating basis with the exception of Noah and Santana who will be responsible for the defences of this home base as well as my friends from Carmel and Artie who will be in charge of communications and the monitoring of the surrounding area and myself. You will also be given a basic tour of this compound. Certain areas are off-limits without my authority. With that being said, you do not need to vote for a leader because that position is mine."

"Rach, come on." Puck watched Rachel with mild interest as Finn began to speak. Now was just about the right time. "I mean, yeah, it's cool and all that you're letting us stay here but don't you think that's a bit much? We're a team, right? So, I really don't think you need to have all those rules. I mean, we'll sort everything out and stuff."

"Really now?"

The first sign of her anger, he noted, was the short response. The second was the raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. Also, you're just a girl so why don't you let me lead? This way it'll be easy for us to control you if you become one of them since you told us that you have the virus and I can protect you better that way."

Puck was beside himself with glee. Not only was he about to win the bet with Santana but Rachel had finally put the game down. He could see the rage boiling over in the stiffness of her body and there was no way the venom in the soft, quiet tone she used would go unnoticed.

"Do you know how to handle a gun Finn?"

"Well no but it shouldn't be different from a Wii controller right?"

"Wrong." As Rachel moved to stand the generators kicked in and the lights came back on. He had to admit that the effects of it were pretty cool. "Noah and I, we know how to handle guns. Moreover, I know how to kill. I have killed infected before today because my dads insisted that I prepare for such an eventuality. I lured the main horde away from the road leading to my house, alone and with a limited weapon. Know what's out there and how to handle it. In the parking lot at school Noah, Santana, Brittany, Quinn and I were the only ones who reacted quickly while the rest of you just stood there and watched. So fuck you Finn. You can't be a leader if you just go along with everyone else and you definitely are not needed for my survival. Now, if you'll excuse me I need to and my new SIGs to my collection."

Puck watched her walk out calmly with a proud grin on his face. Those who only had a surface knowledge of Rachel Berry would only ever associate her anger with diva storm outs and petulant rants but he knew better. The venom in her low, calm voice, the twitching of hre fingers as if to grab a gun that was no longer at her hip and the slow, too controlled departure from the room as if she had to hold herself back were the signs of a rage that was always too powerful, too all-consuming for his favourite Jew. He wished he could take it away but he knew that she would never let him.

* * *

><p>Rachel did not mean to walk out on the others. There was more that she had meant to say, more than she had managed to get in before Finn had decided to speak. However, when he spoke to her in that simplistic, condescending tone something within her snapped.<p>

She had wanted so badly as she spoke to just shoot the boy but she could not. She had been unnerved and his death would not have earned her any points with the others. So, she had let the golden boy of WMHS live and left the room before she did anything irrational.

Her head was swimming as she fought to control the anger she felt. It was like taming a wild beast and lowly her control was slipping. The anger was not connected the infection but it was still fuelled by it and there was very little she could do to stop it before everthing exploded.

She screamed as she surveyed the world though her window, releasing all that she felt until her throat was raw and tears were streaming down her face. Normally she did not let it out often to protect her voice but she needed to. All her dreams were dead anyway so why not let everything come to the surface.

The edges of her eyesight soon began to disappear into darkness as her exhaustion caught up with her. She did not fight it as she once might have done, welcoming the sweet oblivion of Morpheus' realm even as warm arms kept her from falling and carried her to the bed and into sleep.

* * *

><p>Santana was the first to recover from Rachel's tirade against her ex. She had to admit that the shorter girl had had a point and was actually glad that she had taken charge. Her only reason for even going up against Finn in the first place was to prevent him from leading them to their deaths so really, she was quite okay with Rachel takint the lead instead.<p>

"Glorious, wasn't she?"

She turned to Puck with a curious expression. He had always been closer to Rachel than the rest of them and now she wondered just how close they were. He did not even seem fazed by what he had witnessed.

"That was actually scary. What happened?"

"Rachel lost her temper, finally," he said as they left the kitchen together. "It takes a lot for her to snap but when she does it's always a sight to behold. I think she might even have wanted to murder Finn."

"God knows me and Q did," was her muttered reply. "How could you tell anyway?"

"If you know what you're looking for it's easy to tell. I think she's given up on trying to hold it in."

A raised eyebrow prompted the Jewish boy to explain further.

"Everyone thinks her storm-outs are the extent of Rachel's anger but that's not the case. In actuality, what Rachel gets is rage, pure rage. It doesn't have anything to do with the X-23 virus except that it makes it worse. I think it has more to do with when she was just a little kid and she used to be forced to stay with Jason's parents, her biological grandparents. Rachel says that it's a hereditary thing but being in that kind of situation just made it worse, you know?"

Santana had nothing to say to that. If she were being honest, she had to admit that this Rachel surprised her a lot. She had never expected the girl to actually know how to use a nail gun much less an actual gun but the collection Puck had shown her earlier had said differently. Then there was the flirting and the confidence she had seen in the choir room. That was definitely new to her.

Shaking her head in order to clear it Santana decided to let it go for now. She needed to crash and soon, the day's adrenaline rush and Sue's final cheerleading practice catching up to her. More than that, though, she needed a nice, scalding hot shower, preferably including a certain blonde dancer.

"Stop fantasising about your girl," Puck muttered as they ascended the stairs and went deeper into the building. "It's bad enough Rachel made sure to give you the room next to hers but she also let you room with Brittany too. I have to share with St. James."

Santana snorted at that. She could just imagine Puck and St. James having to share.

"You two wouldn't last a day. Who came up with the rooms anyway?"

'Rachel did when she started glee." He paused as if thinking and then shrugged. "I don't know why but she did it anyway and every year we revise it. I think the last time we did that was last week so that's why everyone's on it and grouped to avoid sex. Well, everyone but you and Brittany but you're next to her anyway. She'll probably just be entertained."

"Wait, what?" The words came out in a fast low whisper but even so, she knew that Puck caught the disbelief in them. "Why would you even say that?"

"I know my Jewbro," he grinned with a glint of something in his eyes. "Rachel's actually not as innocent as she looks. I remember there was this one time that she was in a threesome and she just watched until the girls were nearly there before joining in and extending it for hours on end. The girls told me about it after when they asked me if she would be interested in doing it again."

Santana did not say anything to that as she leant against the wall trying to see if Puck was lying. It was not that she did not want to believe him. It was just that this was Rachel Berry they were talking about. The girl just screamed innocence.

"San?"

Brittany appeared out of nowhere, a startlingly serious expression on her face. Santana knew Brittany better than anyone else but even she was not prepared for the intensity of that look and the utter lack of playfulness in Brittany's eyes. She had only ever seen her like that once, the time when Brittany had pushed her into talking to Holly Holiday, and it scared her now just as much as it had scared her then.

Puck seemed to sense this too because he led them away from the corridor and into a surprisingly spare bedroom. Given that she had expected every room to be as tastefully decorated as the parts of the house she had seen, Santana was unnerved a little by this. She did not, however, let that fear show.

"You want to talk, don't you?" she asked as soon as Puck's footsteps disappeared. When the blonde nodded, she sighed. "What about, B?"

"I want to fight."

Those four words grabbed her attention immediately and her head snapped up. She desperately searched Brittany's eyes for something, anything to suggest that this might be a trick but the complete lack of guile in them caused ice cold fear to grip her heart.

Brittany was completely serious about this. She knew exactly what she was saying and Santana knew better than to think otherwise. Still, she did not want to believe it. She did not want to believe that there was a possibility that she could lose Brittany.

"Why?" She could barely force the word out but she needed to know. "Why B?"

"Rachel…she…you were paying attention to Quinn and Puck but I saw her when she decided to help Quinn out instead of trying to get away like the others." Santana watched as Brittany's face crumpled for a moment before she continued. "It was like she was really tired and a lot older. She was like a sad panda but worse."

Santana studied the girl she was in love with for a moment, bottom lip caught between her teeth as she thought. There were very few people who were ever privileged enough o get to know this Brittany, the one who was serious all the time and never spoke unless she truly believed what she was saying. This Brittany was the one who cuddled with her in private and kept her from breaking when her abuela had rejected her.

Sighing, she sat on the bed and pulled the girl into her arms. She had hidden her fear before but now? Now she could not hold it in much longer and she needed her lover to keep her grounded as the world fell away beneath her.

"Britt…"

"I know San," she whispered, nuzzling into Santana's neck. "You don't have to say it, okay? I…I feel the same way but I can't just sit and do nothing while Rachel's like that. I don't even know why she never said she was infected before she blew up at Finn. Why didn't she San?"

Santana did not answer. She knew why Rachel had not said anything and she could not blame her. They had all treated the girl like shit, even her so-called friends and the knowledge left a bad taste in her mouth. Berry did not need to offer them a chance at survival and comfort but she had done so anyway.

"We owe her that much," Santana said out loud, the realization crashing down on her. "We owe her so much B. She hid her infection because she was afraid that we would reject her and yet she risked her life for us. We owe it to her to help."

Just then an unearthly scream reached their ears from the room next to theirs prompting Santana to get up. Her movements, however, were stopped after one step by Brittany's hand on her wrist. The other girl gestured to the flash of gold and white and Santana understood. Ina way, she always had.

* * *

><p><strong>AN****:** So, yeah I'm back with a new chapter. Let me know what you think of it. Also, since school is being sorted out I have more time to write but because of the sheer amount of ideas I have right now, this may not be updated for about two weeks at the least. In the meantime, should I give Rachel a moat?


	4. We Live and We Pray

**Title:** One Hand to Cut the Other

**Chapter:** 4

**Characters/Pairings:** Eventual Faberry, Brittana, Chang 2.0, New Directions, Jesse St. James and Will Shuester for now. Past mentions of every other pairing on Glee.

**Word Count:** 4,160

**Spoilers:** Let's just say up to "Asian F" but without the Finchel.

**Summary:** The zombie apocalypse hits and New Directions are forced to fend for themselves under the leadership of one Rachel Berry and Noah Puckerman. Betrayals occur, death follows and only time will tell who survives.

**Notes:**So…I've been awhile in updating this baby. Er…it'll probably be once a month until one of my priority fics finishes. I don't know. Anyway, I've got a question. Should I include any of the s4 characters? Obviously, I don't care for the eps but a Quinntana beatdown of Kitty and Brittany and Rachel adopting Marley as their own pet? Also, bro bonding Puckerman style? What do you guys think? PS. Don't think I forgot about the moat. Just trying to figure out something here.

**Disclaimer:** Chapter title from _Fleurs du Mal _by Sarah Brightman and the fic title comes from The Birthday Massacre's _Goodnight_. I don't think there are any references in this. Obviously I forgot the main disclaimer but anyway, I don't own Glee or anything related to it, just the plot of this fic and its OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

**We Live and We Pray**

Sunlight and chocolate mixed on the pillow as the last of the daylight faded away. She had finally managed to calm down a little but she would still feel the anger coursing through her body. It never really left her since that first time when she was a child and it had suddenly invaded her. She just learnt to control her impulses better.

A quiet sigh reached her ears forcing her to look up at the girl holding her in her arms. She reached up and brushed Quinn's bangs away from her eyes so that she could see the flecks of golden brown in her hazel. Sometimes she wondered what it would take to create that colour on paper.

"You didn't have to do this, you know," she said, never losing that eye contact. "You don't even know if I'm still dangerous."

"Are you?" There was some amusement in Quinn's voice as she asked the question, almost as if she did not believe her. "Are you still dangerous? Were you even a danger before?"

"Yes."

The word was breathed out reluctantly into the air between them and it hung there for both a moment and eternity. Rachel waited, her eyes daring Quinn to leave just like everyone inevitably always did whenever they found the real her. Over the course of her lifetime she could count on maybe two hands, for the most, how many had actually ever stayed.

Quinn, however, did not move. Instead, she pulled Rachel in closer and wrapped both arms around her. She was afraid – Rachel could tell by the way she refused to stop shaking – but the message was clear. She was not going anywhere.

"Why?"

She was on the verge of tears, that simple gesture almost too much for her. She wanted to ask so many questions but only that one word came out, her emotions overwhelming her for the moment.

"You've saved my life more than once," came the whispered answer, "and I –"

"Rach! You need to get up now!"

Puck's voice surprised them both and they sprung apart as Rachel jumped off the bed. She nearly snarled at the boy but one look at his expression had her reaching for her SIGs and a katana while she shrugged on a jacket instead.

She did not need to ask what was wrong, years of time spent together training allowing her to read him easily. Silently they left the safety of her bedroom for the surveillance room just two doors down from her father's office.

Artie was already there, quietly arguing with a short red-haired girl while a dark-haired girl monitored the live feed from just beyond the walls surrounding the house. Glancing at the monitors Rachel noted the drop in temperature. That was a slightly reassuring sign.

Clearing his throat, Puck interrupted the arguing pair. "Tell her."

"We have two problems." Artie fumbled with his glasses for a moment, obviously nervous. "One, Kurt and Finn left to go find their family and two, there's a group of survivors out there."

"How did you find them?"

Rachel was not surprised to hear Santana come up behind her. The girl was serious about protecting her friends and she knew that once Santana had seen them passing by, armed and ready to go, she would follow.

"I was monitoring the police scanner," the boy replied, seemingly unfazed by her presence as well. "They hijacked a police car and survived so far but I don't think they'll last through another day. The horde in Lima is getting pretty big."

She nodded before turning to Puck. "You spoke to my Daddy before I got back. How are we doing with the inventory?"

"We're okay for about thirty people for a year before we need to think of going underground. What are you thinking Rach?"

"I don't know." She turned back to Artie. "Do you know who they are?"

He nodded. "Sebastian Smythe, Karofsky and Harmony Corcoran."

If Rachel felt anything when she heard the girl's last name no one would have known. She kept the anger inside knowing all too well that these were the people she could not afford to lash out at. There were infected who could take that place and God knows what else out there that could take it.

"Alright." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Dawn, prep the Beast. I'll go out there and bring in those three."

"What about Finn and Kurt?"

"Noah, as much as you and I know that I don't want to rescue them if they get themselves into trouble I really don't want two more of those things out there. Either they come with me or I put a bullet in their brains."

"Gotcha," he snapped cheerily as he handed a set of keys to the red-head. "I only wish I was going to be there to see it."

"Yeah. I'll be back before sunrise so I need you and Sam on guard duty while I'm gone."

"You're not seriously planning on going alone are you? I'm going with."

Rachel rounded on Santana with a raised eyebrow. "And what makes you so sure?"

"I don't know what you have equipped in whatever the hell the Beast is but you're still gonna need either a sniper or a driver. Also, you need a medic with you just in case."

"Do you even have medical training Santana?"

The taller girl shrugged. "My dad was a doctor. He made sure I knew my shit, even if he didn't know I was gonna go to med school anyway."

Rachel rubbed her hands together and buried her face in them. This was not going the way she wanted it to and part of her wondered if it was even worth it, taking them in. Noah, Dawn, Kim, even Shelby she could handle but the pigheaded members of New Directions were almost too much for her sometimes. Still, what Santana was offering was something no one else had.

"Consider it Rach," Puck whispered to her. "You and I both know that we can't do everything and we're going to need a doctor or some shit on call when things really start."

She nodded. "Fine. Santana, you're in but if you're coming then I need someone else there as well. I can't watch your back and try to keep Finn and Kurt alive as well. Understand?"

"Gotcha, Berry."

* * *

><p>She would never admit it but Rachel's focus and intensity scared her sometimes. As soon as they had left the room the shorter girl had walked off with Puck to the garage, leaving her with Quinn.<p>

"Do you even know what you're doing S?" the blonde asked. "You could die out there and B needs you right now."

"I know that. I just…we owe Berry our lives, okay? She could have left us out there to try to survive but she didn't. I'm trying to erase that debt even though I know I can't. 'Sides, Britt'll understand."

"How can you –"

"Don't," she cut Quinn off. Br's as invested in this as I am so don't make me doubt the only sure thing I have in my life right now."

"Okay," was the quiet reply. "Just come back safe."

"I intend to."

* * *

><p>She was running her fingers along the front of the mini armoured tank she had long ago dubbed the Beast when she felt it. The pull in her blood was unmistakeable and to forceful to deny. Something was out there, something big.<p>

"Shit."

As soon as the word fell from her lips she was moving. Shrugging off her jacket and her guns she yanked Puck away from the Beast toward the garage door. No words needed to be said as he ran alongside her to the gate, brow furrowed and muscles tense.

She could not really blame him. She could _feel_ whatever it was but in the gloom of the early evening twilight she could not see anything. It was almost as if the creature was not there.

Growling in frustration she closed her eyes and forced herself to concentrate on her breathing as she tried to locate it. She knew it was there, the virus was practically pumping through her with the feeling, but she just could not locate it. There was the occasional snap of a branch or a low growl but always, there was nothing. That was in itself impossible unless it was so big that it overwhelmed her senses.

"Noah," she gasped, opening her eyes of the thought. "Did you have any of the explosives on you when we left?"

"Yeah, why?"

"It's approaching at eleven o'clock. Arm two of the small nukes and throw them in ten…nine…eight…"

She did not need to turn to Noah to know that he was connecting the wires running along the exterior of two small black boxes. She did not even look when she heard the beep that meant it was armed.

"…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one…now!"

She did watch as, with frighteningly accurate aim, he threw the boxes at the grotesque, rotting giant of a man that came bumbling through the trees at that moment. They hit their mark and exploded on impact, sending chunks of flesh and gore everywhere just as Puck and Rachel managed to duck behind the gates.

They both shared a knowing look before sinking to the ground as their bodies shook with hysterical laughter. While the experience had not challenged them physically, the emotional strain they had felt all day left them exhausted once the laughter stopped.

"I don't want to go after them," Rachel said after a while, her head now resting on Puck's shoulder. "Kurt and Finn are just gonna put us in danger."

The boy nodded. "I know what you mean but you have to. The others'll be on your ass if you don't and that could be a problem, y'know?"

"Yeah, but he's not worth it Noah. They both aren't."

"I know, Rach. I know."

* * *

><p>He bashed another body with the bat in his hand but it was no use. It was just replaced with two more. They were surrounded in the small car by dozens of the thing and nothing seemed to work. The bat was too slow a tool and they did not dare to use the guns for fear of running out of ammunition. The only other weapons they had were a pair of knives and a couple of tazers, not nearly enough to get them out of there.<p>

He was about to duck back through the sunroof into the car to rest while the girl, Harmony, took over, when he saw it in the distance. Almost invisible because of its small size but growing with each second that passed was a small tank of some kind. It was headed, fortunately or not, in their direction too. Gatling guns were already rattling as the infected fell around them.

He knew that he should have taken cover by then as he continued to fend off attacks, though they came less frequently now, but he was mesmerised by what was occurring before him. More and more bodies feel, either mowed down by the vehicle or ripped apart by bullets, as their rescuer s approached.

A small hatchet opened at the top when they were just fifty yards away just as the machine stopped and a short, feminine figure jumped out, a katana drawn and ready. The girl was graceful as she jumped into the crowd, calmly cutting a path to connect the two vehicles until she was close enough for him to recognise the girl whom he sometimes saw with Kurt and Blaine.

"Rachel Berry," he said with some surprise. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Sebastian Smythe," New Directions' female lead replied calmly. "Heard you were having some trouble. Where are Dave and Harmony?"

"Right here Berry," the boy in question answered as he and Harmony came out of the car now that it was relatively safe to open the doors, shotguns in hand. "How'd you know where to find us?"

"We were alerted to your location when Artie picked up your transmission while trying to search for survivors. We figured it wouldn't hurt to help you guys since we're already looking for two of our own."

"Yo Berry! The light's almost completely gone now. We've gotta get a move on!"

He looked past her to where a dark-haired girl was sticking halfway out of the hatch, the rifle in her hand easily dispatching the infected. Santana Lopez seemed unchanged at first glance but he could tell that this mass infection or zombie apocalypse or whatever affected her more than she let on. He was trained to notice these things, such as the tense set of her shoulders or the way she gripped the gun a little too hard. She was scared, determined to survive but scared all the same.

"She's right," Rachel said, bring his attention back to her. If we don't move now then it might be too late for the others."

He glanced back at the other two who merely shrugged and made to follow the girl as she led them back to the tank. They were probably thinking that it was better to take a chance on her than to die and come back a rotting, hungry corpse. Sebastian was inclined to agree.

Once they had clambered inside, Rachel moved to what was effectively a driver's seta while Santana moved across the surprising spacious cabin, intent on checking them for injury. He himself had no real wounds but Karofsky's arm was fractured and Harmony was sporting several bruised ribs. Santana tended to these with surprising speed and efficiency before assessing them again with a malicious smile.

"Rachel said that I need your blood to test for infection but I don't have any needles." From a back pocket she drew out a hunting knife. "That means I get to cut you, Smythe."

He arched an eyebrow but submitted to her anyway. Slashing his palm quickly, she let the blood pool before holding it over a black piece of paper. She repeated the process two more times before she finally sat in the bucket seat next to his.

"How does that even work?" he was curious, he was willing to admit, about what was going on but something warned him about asking too many questions at once. "Why take our blood?"

"The paper's treated with some special solution created specifically for the purpose of detecting the virus in your body. Normal blood would turn it grey," Santana indicate the three strips which were indeed lightening to a stormy shade of grey," whereas the virus, which Rachel says binds with the haemoglobin in your blood cells, would turn it green."

The explanation was simple enough but there was something Santana said that bothered him. Turning to the one person he was sure could answer, he noticed the way she clenched her fists around the tank's steering wheel and faltered.

"If you're going to ask, Sebastian, then I'd suggest you do so now," Rachel forced out through gritted teeth. "Those idiots are already wearing on my restraint and your curiosity is not helping."

"How do you know so much about this virus?"

The smile she flashed in his direction was anything but reassuring. "That's because I'm its original carrier."

* * *

><p>Santana cursed her luck as she had to reload her gun yet again. While she and Mike were both acting as the main gunners while Rachel drove, she had chosen to work on the side of the Beast that was growing increasingly crowded. To say that she was pissed was a gross understatement as she was firing at least three times as aggressively as the strangely excited boy.<p>

Mike, she noticed, was having the time of his life taking down the infected. Every so often he would whoop n pure joy and, to her surprise, pull Rachel into a one-armed hug. Currently, though, he was engaged in a deep discussion about zombie movies with the girls he assumed to be Harmony. She seemed pretty interested in what the boy had to say which relaxed Santana a bit. Sure, Mike and Tina were nearly inseparable as a couple but the New Directions were her family so Santana would always be a little protective of all of them.

At that thought her eyes wandered over to where Sebastian was talking to Rachel in low whispers that seemed to ease the girl. She was glad for that. Ever since her talk with Brittany only a couple hours before, she found herself paying more and more attention to Berry. She seemed extremely agitated and fidgety most of the time, as if she was constantly on edge about something. Knowing her like she did, Santana was almost certain that this was the case.

Sebastian, for his part, intrigued her. Most of the club had, at one point or another, met him while hanging out with Blaine and Kurt at the Lima Bean so they were all aware of the mess that was the relationship they shared. In Santana's opinion, they were not as bad as whatever it was that Finn, Quinn and Rachel had going on for two years and then some but that was something she was inclined to only talk to Brittany about. Seeing him like this, however, made her wonder if she could be wrong in her dislike of him. While it could not be denied that he was smarmy and sarcastic in a way that made her want to shudder sometimes, he was also a seemingly good leader. He had to be if he had gotten Karofsky and Harmony, who was beginning to remind her of both Rachel and Quinn, to not only work together but to work with him for that matter.

"Need help?" Karofsky's voice cut through her thoughts, bringing her back to the present. "I'm a decent shot and you look tired."

"How good are you gonna be with a fractured right arm?" She surveyed the boy who had once been her beard and cringed at the tired look on his face. "I'm fine. Besides, once we find Kurt and Finn one of them will take it."

"Are you sure about that?"

She scoffed at his doubt. "They better or I'll shoot them in the ass. I'm losing macking time with Britt for this."

"Lesbians," he muttered, shaking his head. Up front, Rachel turned and arched an eyebrow. "Really Dave?"

Santana noted the faint gleam in Rachel's eye before the girl turned away again. She breathed a sigh of relief. If Rachel was capable of joking then maybe she had reigned in her temper a little. _Or maybe not,_ she amended when the Beast was yanked into a sudden stop and Rachel clambered out of the hatch in an angry huff. Minutes later, she re-entered muttering about "crazy people in stupid tracksuits". Their unanswered questions were resolved when Sue Sylvester followed in all her red tracksuit glory.

"Coach…"

"Lopez," the woman acknowledged as Santana left her gun to walk over to her. "If you're here then I trust that Q and B are alive?"

"Yeah," she said as she checked Sue over for the infection. "They're living too. Can't say the same about the rest of the squad, though."

She shuddered internally at the memory. She may have been a bitch but those girls were her team mates. Even she had to feel guilty about what she did.

"Santana," Rachel called out. "She clean?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Let her take the gun. You come up here."

"Alright."

A bit numbly she relinquished her seat to her former coach and moved up front next to Rachel. For a while they did not speak but Santana knew that it was only a matter of time before Rachel would talk. Surprisingly, the girl lasted until they were a couple of blocks away from the Hudson-Hummel home.

"You're going to dream about it." Her voice was quiet, almost regretful. "You feel guilty about killing your team so you're going to be plagued by nightmares for a while. If that doesn't happen then there will be other ways the guilt will manifest itself.. I can't tell you how because it depends on the person."

"Why are you telling me this? They were already dead anyway."

"You need to know that it's normal, Santana. They may have been dead anyway but they were human once and you knew them. Even Mike flinches from time to time and he doesn't know half or any of the people he's shooting right now. Isn't that right Michael?"

The boy in question stopped for a moment and answered with a surprisingly sober affirmation of Rachel's statement before his gun started up again. She stared at him for a moment longer before leaning back with closed eyes.

"That's all well and good but how do you stop it from affecting you?"

"You don't," was Rachel's simple answer. "You just learn to bear it better."

* * *

><p>The street Finn and Kurt lived on was a relatively middle-class location. While Burt's auto shop was in the main part of Lima head chosen to live with his family in a people-friendly suburb. Rachel had always liked it because it felt warm and slightly welcoming.<p>

Now, however, she hated it. They could not take the Beast onto the street for fear of alerting the boys too soon to their presence but most of the residents who had down already were out and about. She would have to fight her way in.

"Damn!" Santana whistled looking out. "Those idiotas didn't make this easy for us, did they?"

"No," she said through gritted teeth as she checked her weapons, "they didn't. Santana, I need you to stay here."

"But-"

"No." She did not dare to turn, already imagining the anger she would be met with. "You came as my medic and I need you alive because of that. If those two get injured in there I need to know what to d about it and I don't. That's why I have you here."

"And if they're infected? How are you going to be able to tell when you gave me all the test strips?"

Rachel remained quiet for a moment, thinking of what to say to her. Truthfully, she had her own means of telling whether they were infected or not but she knew that it was not foolproof. It never had been and that was always where she faltered

As a child she always knew when someone or something was infected. The virus always recognised what she was and called out to her. At first, she had been scared because of what it did to her mind and the pain that would accompany it. Then her dads developed the serum that suppressed the virus and she was content to just let it be. Sure, there were times when that particular sense slipped through the cracks but it did not matter because it would go away in the same amount of time, rendering her doubtful of how she was to treat with someone, always unsure if they were infected or if she just imagined it. Now, she was scared to use it, scared of what would happen.

In hushed whispers she explained this to Santana, pressing a syringe into the shocked girl's hand.

"I don't know why I'm trusting you with this information but Noah's not here and I need someone watching who knows. I may not be able to rely on it perfectly and it could send me into this weird berserker mode but I still have to try, right?"

Santana looked away for a moment and did not say anything. Rachel, for her part, was afraid that maybe she had overstepped her boundaries, assuming that she had the right to even think of putting her in such a position. She was still uncertain about the other girl and it showed in the way she regarded her whenever they spoke. She always faltered for a moment, always paused to phrase the words in her head before speaking in case she might offend her.

A shrill scream penetrated the tank, breaking Rachel out of her thoughts. It was not Kurt despite the momentary thought that it had been him. It had come from too far to be him and it was too strangled. No, some poor soul had been caught and was paying the price for their carelessness. Still, it was as good a wake up call as any.

"Santana, promise me you will stay here."

Her voice was stern and commanding with the usual arrogance she was sure her team mates were used to and she saw all the signs of someone caught off-guard by it in the other girl's expression. Sometimes she really was too good an actress.

"Fine," was the hesitant answer, "but who's going with you?"

"I am," Mike said, standing up. "Ready Rach?"

"As I'll ever be. Let's go."


End file.
